PSA - Infantry units are much better than you think! (In the Antiquity era, anyway).

Hello guys!

I've seen a lot of chatter about how Infantry units are really bad, because cavalry units have the +5 combat strength over the at base, they have greater movement. But I feel like this characterization misses some points (in antiquity, anyway. This doesn't remain true on later eras, and i'm discussing this based on STANDARD speed. Faster game speeds make it easier to build units in 1 turn and change the Conversation a bit).

Heavy Chariot units are unlocked at the Wheel, a tier 3 tech, and they start as a second tier unit costing 70 production. Compare this to Spearmen, also a tier 3 tech (Bronze working), they have 5 combat strength less than Chariots and cost 60 production. On the face of it, this does look like a very bad tradeoff.

However, this misses a few key points - in the antiquity era, there are no buffs from civics or techs towards cavalry units at all. Right after Bronze working you can pick up Bronze working mastery, which adds 3 combat strength to your spearman, closing that gap from 5 to 2. Additionally you can pick up Drills from the Tactics civic, which gives a 30% production buff towards ranged and infantry units. In real terms this "reduces the cost" from 60 production to about 46. (not really - rome will still earn culture from their infantry units as if they spent 60 production while running their unique tradition). 46 production vs 70, for only 2 combat strength less is looking like a much better tradeoff. And then, if you're playing around city states a bunch you can get even morecombat strength on your infantry by taking the appropriate suzerain bonus from a militaristic city state (there is no equivalent for cavalry units in antiquity, again) - especially relevant if you're playing as Greece, but Rome and Persia can utilise this as well.

In conclusion, civs which are more focused on simming and not likely to pick up bonuses for active warfare in their civics cause they're going down the middle and top civics, sure, infantry units are pretty rubbish for them. But Rome, Greece and Persia all benefit greatly from picking up Bronze working mastery and tactics early, and civs with unique ranged units can also benefit from having very quick, cheap and barely-weaker than cavalry melee units to act as meatshields and zone enemies off their ranged units.

Thank you for reading my Ted talk.